Werder Bremen vs VfL Wolfsburg preview: A midtable clash on Friday night | OneFootball

Werder Bremen

It’s been a while since Werder Bremen were beaten.

They’re in the midst of a four-match undefeated streak, with that last loss coming at the end of September. Bremen aren’t playing at their best, and they haven’t faced off against any elite sides in this time, but they’re chugging along and climbing up the Bundesliga table.

For supporters, the most promising thing has been Werder’s results at home. Their run began with a home match against local rivals St. Pauli. They scored in the 2nd minute through Samuel Mbangula, and that was it. Somehow that was the only goal of the game. They were solid at the back, and held on to secure a clean sheet and all three points.

The Green-Whites did the same sort of thing two weeks later. This time hosting Union Berlin, they were better offensively, moving it up the pitch on a few occasions. The breakthrough took much longer, but a wonder-strike from Marco Grüll put them in front with 20 minutes to go. That’s all the backline needed, shutting down shop and clinching another 1-0 victory.

Bremen go into this weekend in 9th, which is a welcome sight considering their rough start to the season. If they can grab another win here, they’d not only go into the international break in fine form, but they’d also be in the thick of the European race.

Manager Horst Steffen knows his side will have to be better than recent performances. There’s been a lack of consistency, both on and off the ball when trying to push forward. If the players don’t master his system soon, it’ll become much harder to keep the good times rolling.

If Werder steps up under the lights, though, then they’ll be in a great spot for the future.

Team news

Bremen are still without a few fullbacks, with Maximilian Wöber, Olivier Deman, Felix Agu, and Mitchell Weiser all out injured.

Predicted lineups

Backhaus, Sugawara, Pieper, Friedl, Schmidt, Lynen, Stage, Mbangula, Puertas, Grüll, Boniface

Wolfsburg

The times have not been as good at Wolfsburg.

They have lost seven of their last eight contests. That’s a remarkable stretch, and their only win was away to recently-promoted Hamburg despite losing the xG battle heavily. The Wolves are struggling to say the very least.

Fortunately for Wolfsburg, they picked up a good chunk of points to start the campaign. That keeps them out of the bottom three for now, but that gap has closed to only two points. While fans weren’t expecting a title challenge or anything like that, they know that this roster is too talented to go down.

The bad news for them is that, as mentioned prior, Bremen are very strong defensively at home. Wolfsburg only scored in two of their recent losses, and they’ve seemed stagnant in the final third on many occasions. There is some hope, though, as they scored twice in last week’s defeat to Hoffenheim, both from potential talent Mohamed Amoura.

The away side will have to lean on their experience on this night. Christian Eriksen has become a key player in the lineup, and while he’s lost a step, he still possesses more technical ability than most others in the league. Captain Maximilian Arnold is still around as well, and he’s always capable of a moment of magic.

Wolfsburg will need all the magic they can get tomorrow night. If not, it might be time to say goodbye to head coach Paul Simonis.

Team news

The injury crisis taking place hasn’t helped things, as the likes of Patrick Wimmer, Joakim Mæhle, Kilian Fischer, Rogério, Kevin Paredes, and Jesper Lindstrøm are still unavailable for selection.

Predicted lineups

Grabara, Kumbedi, Seelt, Koulierakis, Zehnter, Arnold, Souza, Daghim, Eriksen, Svanberg, Amoura